Sabarimala Temple closes today after five-day puja; media asked to leave

The shrine opened on Oct 18 after the Supreme Court had passed the judgement allowing menstruating women, belonging to the age group of 10 to 50, to enter the temple.

However, several men and women are protesting outside the temple, trying to prevent the entry of women in the shrine.

Menstruating women were earlier banned from entering the temple for centuries as a part of the religious practice.

Meanwhile, two women- an activist and a journalist- who on Friday attempted to enter Kerala's Sabrimala Temple, returned without entering the shrine.

The two women turned back after the priest said he will shut the temple.

One hundred and fifty police personnel had escorted the two women to the shrine.

Protests have rocked the state in recent times over the verdict with demonstrators not supporting the order of allowing women aged between 10 and 50 from entering the temple.

As the gate of the temple was set to open on Wednesday for the first time since the Supreme Court passed its judgement with the likelihood of women trying to enter, protesters, keeping a vigil against any such eventuality, turned aggressive, intimidating and hounding female devotees who tried to venture into the shrine, beating up women journalists and clashing with the police.

A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court on September 28 had lifted the ban on women's entry into the Sabarimala temple declaring the relevant rules as unconstitutional.